Box Score Lexington, Ky. – Madison Kellione went off for a career-high 33 points to lead the No. 8/11 Transylvania women's basketball team to an 83-75 win over the No. 3 John Carroll University Blue Streaks on Monday afternoon in the Transylvania Holiday Classic at the Beck Center.
Kellione established new career-highs for points, free throws made, and free throws attempted, hitting on all 14 of her charity tosses to lead the Pioneers to their ninth consecutive victory to begin the season and their second of the year against a Top-10 ranked team. John Carroll suffered just its second loss of the season to drop to 7-2 overall.
Transylvania used an opening-quarter offensive explosion as four different Pioneers combined to make five three-pointers for a 23-5 advantage after the first quarter. Laken Ball provided the final two triples of the quarter as part of a monster 19-point, 13-rebound double-double, the first of her career.
After enduring an 0 for 5 line from outside in the first quarter, John Carroll found its shooting rhythm in the second quarter, shooting 47 percent from the field in the period to trim its deficit to 39-28 by the break.
With 12 points at the half, Kellione began to simmer in the third quarter, scoring 11 points in the quarter as the Pioneers locked down the Blue Streaks to 2 for 8 shooting from beyond the perimeter to rebuild their lead to 17 points at the end of the third.
Kellione led off the fourth quarter with two straight buckets on the way to a 21-point second half. The junior's performance marked the eighth time in nine games this season she has scored in double figures and her fifth game of the year with 20 points or more.
Transylvania connected on 10 of 22 three-pointers for the game and made 27 of 34 free throws, also a team best this season.
Kennedi Stacy joined Ball in notching a double-double, collecting her second of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Transylvania returns to action tomorrow for the second day of the Transylvania Holiday Classic. The Pioneers will square off against the Capital University Comets at 3:00 p.m. at the Beck Center to round out the tournament.
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